Is McCoy different from Norv? Here's where he proves it

San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy watches from the sideline during the first half of the preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
— AP

San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy watches from the sideline during the first half of the preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
/ AP

The Monday night collapse, the plunge in front of America’s eyes — no longer exclusive to him.

A new Chargers coach had experienced that same hell in a headset as a 28-7 lead decayed into a 31-28 loss. So is Mike McCoy really any different than Norv Turner?

Actually, we’re about to find out.

Most people think that McCoy made his NFL head-coaching debut Monday. The truth is, he’ll make it this morning, when the Chargers hold their first practice since the opener.

After a loss that was as demoralizing as it was déjà vu for the Bolts, this is the first real litmus test for the coaches. Can they right the psychological ship, or will they just watch it sail away?

Some people dismiss a “lack of motivation” or a “mental block” in professional sports as quickly as they do the Easter Bunny. They argue that, at the highest of levels, execution is completely independent of state of mind.

Philip Rivers even said on the radio last month that he and his teammates laughed at the notion that they needed a fiery coach who could rev them up in the locker room — a common media knock against Turner. But I’m sorry, whether it’s a pregame speech or a date with a hypnotist, this team needs something.

Confidence, even at the top tiers, is absolutely a factor in sports. We constantly witness golfers blow big leads on Sundays, and in the NBA Finals three seasons ago, we watched LeBron James’ head beat the Heat in six games.

Do you really not think that the Chargers’ minds played into the outcome? When press-box wags and jaded fans on Twitter were predicting a Bolts defeat when Houston simply cut the lead to 14, is it that absurd to think that players felt similar doubt?

Make no mistake — there were plenty of other circumstances that contributed to Monday’s loss. The Chargers’ depth on defense, for instance, can be measured only in millimeters, and there were many “SportsCenter” plays by Texans like Brian Cushing and J.J. Watt in the second half.

But when you also consider the Chargers’ three-and-outs — the dropped passes and crucial interception on the most crucial of downs — it’s hard not to think that apprehension played as big of a role as aptitude.

So here’s where McCoy comes in. Here’s where the rookie head coach must figure out a way to shake that uncertainty right out of the team’s culture, because if it sinks in the way it did last year, the next 16 weeks could feel like 60.

Remember, after last October’s Monday night nightmare against the Broncos, the Bolts lost five out of six and nosedived right out of the playoff hunt. And the defeats weren’t three-score blowouts to perennial powers — a one-point loss to the Browns, or a seven-point loss to the Bengals, or a three-point loss to the Ravens, during which “fourth-and-29” made its infamous entrance into San Diego’s lexicon.

Did those results reflect a lack of roster strength? Of course. But they also reflected a lack of belief.

When people discuss sports’ great coaches — the Vince Lombardis, John Woodens and Phil Jacksons — the stories never center around X’s and O’s, but rather their peerless way of inspiring players.

So does McCoy have that gift?

If you go solely by his words, generally a collection of clichés that he repeats on a loop, the betting line would probably say no. Tuesday, he said that his team had to “move on,” “put this one behind us,” and “take it one game at a time,” but predictably failed to deliver any rousing gem.

Luckily for him, football isn’t a game of words. And luckily for fans of the Chargers, a coach can say just as much with his approach to practice as he can with his mouth.

So now is his chance. Now is the opportunity for McCoy to show that, with him, the Chargers are in good hands.

Because if he doesn’t, with two road games coming up, this could quickly get out of hand.